MANUFACTURING

Early day motion 1664, tabled 10 September 2003 by Adam Price (Plaid Cymru). Signed by 4 members.

That this House notes with deep concern the analysis by the GMB union of the 2001 census which indicates that over one million people in the UK are classified as economically inactive; further notes that this equates to 3.3 per cent. of the working population of England and Wales; also notes that traditional manufacturing areas such as Wales have a higher rate of economic inactivity (3.6 per cent.); believes that the analysis undermines the Government's unemployment statistics, and that the economies of traditional manufacturing areas have been severely undermined by this Government's core policies; condemns the Government for refusing to acknowledge the scale of the economic problems facing traditional manufacturing areas; and demands that the Government immediately appoints a Minister for Manufacturing within the DTI, with responsibility for composing and implementing a manufacturing strategy in order to help rebuild this essential economic sector.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 2, Plaid Cymru 2.